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Of course, the Pacers' Web site doesn't call him a free agent or anything, but I thought I'd bring this to attention. I'm having no delusions of grandeur ...

From Larry Coon ...

48. What are option clauses? What kind of option clauses are there?
An option clause allows a contract to be extended for one additional season after the date it is scheduled to end. For example, a six-year contract with an option for the seventh year means that if the option is exercised, the contract extends through the seventh season, but if the option is not exercised, the contract ends after the sixth season and the player becomes a free agent. Options must be exercised by the July 1 that precedes the option year. Once exercised, an option cannot be revoked (for example, a player cannot invoke an option on June 20th and change his mind on June 25th).

There are various types of options:

Team Options give the team the right to invoke the option year. There can be only one option year, and the option year can't be for a lower salary than the previous season.

Player Options give the player the right to invoke the option year. There can be only one option year, and the option year can't be for a lower salary than the previous season.

Player Early Termination Options (ETO's) give the player the right to terminate the contract early. An ETO can't occur prior to the end of the fifth season of the contract (so the contract must be for six or seven seasons), and may be made contingent on player or team performance benchmarks.
Player options were previously used as a way to give the player more money. A long-term deal was agreed upon with a player option after the player obtained Larry Bird rights. The player invoked the option, became a free agent, and then the team & player signed a new contract for more money using the Bird exception. However, since the current CBA prevents ETO's before the end of the fifth year or more than one option year, the usefulness of this tool is now very limited.
Rookie "scale" contracts for first round draft picks contain a team option for the fourth season.

Here's a summary of the differences between an option and an ETO:

Options can occur only when one season remains on the contract, while ETO's can occur when two seasons remain if the contract is for seven seasons.

Options can be included in any multiyear contract, but ETO's are allowed only with six or seven year contracts.

ETO's can be based on performance benchmarks, but options can't.

Only a player can be given an ETO, but an option can be given to the player or to the team.

Option years may not have a lower salary than the previous season. ETO's have no such restriction.

Another note, this is incredibly misleading, since this has about 312 players as unrestricted free agents who won't be.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

They have the Hawks Tony Delk listed the same, however with the Hawks and Delk nothing has changed. They have the same results they would have had under the old contract. Waiving Delk doesn't save them anything.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

maybe somebody should convince austin to opt out so he can possibly sign with someone for their MLE where he could play alot more....hes gonna get zero playing time over the next two years, so hes gonna have very little marketable value then...only vet minimum....maybe right now he could sucker some team into their MLE....no chance of the two years from now....if he signed for an MLE for like 4 or 5 years starting at 5 million that would be worth a total of 23 million for 4 years...versus him getting 18 for the next two and then about the vet min for the following 2 years....if he really wants to play he might consider it, though im not sure how likely it would be for someone to give him the MLE....but when u look at some of the players that get it...he might be able to....

or maybe austin looks at this as his retirement is starting now....

or could he possibly opt out and sign a restructured long term deal with the pacers thats a little more cap friendly....now that i think about it...that wouldnt work...because he would be a free agent and we would have to use our MLE on him then...that wont work....

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

Think about this...although it would never happen...but what if the Pacers tell Croshere that if he exercises the option that they will give him the full MLE for the remaning years of his current conttact.

Still a good amount of money but also cuts some of the money as well, enough to sign DD back, JJ though would more than likely be gone.

Sort of like you said Foretaz though the team concedes on JJ, and maybe by some luck DD signs for the 1.6 million exception.

"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

I've mentioned this before, but I'll tell it again so you'll better understand.
Back in my days as a poster on the ESPN board I had a friend who delivered pizza for a living (Standup comedy doesn't pay squat). He said one of his regulars was AC...and AC always tipped in quarters. Called him one of the tightest SOB's he'd ever come across.

Does that sound like someone who would willingly take a pay cut?

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around..

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

I've mentioned this before, but I'll tell it again so you'll better understand.
Back in my days as a poster on the ESPN board I had a friend who delivered pizza for a living (Standup comedy doesn't pay squat). He said one of his regulars was AC...and AC always tipped in quarters. Called him one of the tightest SOB's he'd ever come across.

Does that sound like someone who would willingly take a pay cut?

But...I just read that Austin's a milk-drinker. How could he possibly do such a thing?

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

He didn't have to do anything with the ETO all he had to do was not opt out .... I think there will be some trades and the Pacers may do something and agree to pay part of his salary if he is sent elsewhere.

"He wanted to get to that money time. Time when the hardware was on the table. That's when Roger was going to show up. So all we needed to do was stay close"Darnell Hillman (Speaking of former teammate Roger Brown)

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

I've mentioned this before, but I'll tell it again so you'll better understand.
Back in my days as a poster on the ESPN board I had a friend who delivered pizza for a living (Standup comedy doesn't pay squat). He said one of his regulars was AC...and AC always tipped in quarters. Called him one of the tightest SOB's he'd ever come across.

Does that sound like someone who would willingly take a pay cut?

Sounds like a man who has wisely saved his huge NBA contract. That way he won't have to worry if no one is willing to sign him after his contract ends here. He'll never work a day in his life again.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

Speaking as someone who works in a Pizza place, who cares how much tip the driver gets? I just spent hours last night doing nothing but washing a constant stream of dishes, lids, pans, and other crap. That's a lot more work than driving a car. I don't get tips. We both get paid the same salary. You figure it out.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

I know now adays the driver (at least here in VA) has to drive his own car, so while I see your point, the driver has to deal with wear and tear, gas money, and if he gets any kind of tickets or anything he has to pay for that out of his pocket.

I really dont want to drag this topic OT any more then it is, Ive had some good debates with friends over tips, maybe another day and another thread Ill get into that here at PD

As he should. If he gets a ticket that's his fault.

Gas money is a good counter-arguement, but then when I think about it, considering how little work there is compared to being in-house I think it balances out.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

As a former pizza delivery guy I can say that there are plenty of other things the tip covers besides the gas. Wear and tear on the vehicle... I put 34K on my car in one year; The stress of trying to find some obscure address in the dark; Putting up with the customers crap when you don't have the pizza there when they think you should; Dodging guard dogs!!; Being out in the elements getting wet/cold/hot... but I digress.

Funny story... I once delivered to a guy that answered the door in a full Star Trek Captain Kirk outfit. He gave me a pretty good tip so I said "Thanks Cap'n! Live long and prosper!" He looked at me like he was about to switch his phaser from STUN to KILL so I took off before he could ask for his tip back.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

I once delivered a pizza to a hotel room here in Bloomington to Clark Kellogg. His name wasn't on the order, so I looked at him and said "You look familiar." He replied, "I'm Clark Kellogg". He almost said it like I should have know already. He was in town to do the IU game for CBS. I told him I was a big Pacer fan and he gave me his autograph.

I don't remember how much the tip was...not small, but nothing huge either.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

Gas money is a good counter-arguement, but then when I think about it, considering how little work there is compared to being in-house I think it balances out.

Maybe you should try delivering for a few months before making all kinds of assumptions about how easy of a job it is and how everpaid they are. I worked in store and delivered pizzas in West Lafayette while going to Purdue so I know both sides, and trust me delivery drivers deserve everything they get. Sure one week the money looks good, and then the next week your battery dies and you get an oil change etc. Not to mention delivering pizzas is 3rd most likely job to get murdered while doing behind police officers and taxi drivers. You drop a pizza or break a plate in the store and your boss goes "golly i wish you wouldn't have done that." Guess what happens when you a 20 slips out of your pocket at some dark trailer park? Yep you just worked the last 3 hours for free cause your SOL.

Delivering pizzas is one of the most stressful jobs I've ever had. It pisses me off when people act ignorant about it. Working in a store is a cakewalk compared to delivering.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

Maybe you should try delivering for a few months before making all kinds of assumptions about how easy of a job it is and how everpaid they are.

Did I say it was easy? No. Did I say they're overpaid? No. They get paid the same as the others that work for the pizza place. They work like we do.

I worked in store and delivered pizzas in West Lafayette while going to Purdue so I know both sides, and trust me delivery drivers deserve everything they get. Sure one week the money looks good, and then the next week your battery dies and you get an oil change etc. Not to mention delivering pizzas is 3rd most likely job to get murdered while doing behind police officers and taxi drivers. You drop a pizza or break a plate in the store and your boss goes "golly i wish you wouldn't have done that." Guess what happens when you a 20 slips out of your pocket at some dark trailer park? Yep you just worked the last 3 hours for free cause your SOL.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

I think you're nuts if you don't ask for them to pay for gas, and such.

If I wasn't going to be reimbursed for using MY car, I'd go find a job at McDonalds or somewhere else. Your taking a huge paycut. I'd tell my employer to either pay me for it, let me drive his, or shove it.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

You insinuated that "Who cars what they get tipped" that leaves me to believe that you think thought are overpaid. I did work in the store for awile and the dish pit SUCKS. But so does pushing your car out of snow banks. Working in a place like that is a good motivational tool to finish college. ;\

I've lurked in this forum since the day it was created and indystar before then, and it takes a post about pizza delivery to get me to post. ;p

Btw I did have someone pay me 16 dollars in change (no quarters) all in a plastic bag. And they had their kids come to my window to give it to me cause they didn't even have the balls to give that to me to my face.

Re: ESPN saying (and teasing)

No one makes you get a job as the pizza delivery guy; if you aren't happy with it, quit.

My favorite pizza delivery moment: Home Alone...

Gangster 'Johnny': Who is it?
Pizza Boy: It's Little Nero, sir. I have your pizza.
Gangster 'Johnny': Leave it at the doorstep and get the hell 'outta here.
Pizza Boy: Okay, but what about the money?
Gangster 'Johnny': What money?
Pizza Boy: Well, you'll have to pay for your pizza, sir.
Gangster 'Johnny': How much do I owe you?
Pizza Boy: That'll be $11.80, sir.
[Kevin drops the money from the door hatch]
Gangster 'Johnny': Keep the change, you filthy animal.
Pizza Boy: Cheapskate.
Gangster 'Johnny': Hey, I'm going to give you to the count of ten, to get your ugly face out of my property, before I pump your guts full of lead! 1, 2, 10!
---

Austin Croshere will probably be a Pacer until his contract expires IMO.